September 21, 2011

In August I headed to Quebec City for what turned out to be an absolutely gorgeous wedding. The day was chock-full of activity. As Lily got ready, last-minute DIY details were being prepared by family. Once the bride was ready, Alex arrived to partake in some traditional "door games", which are tasks assigned to him by the bridesmaids to prove his love (he passed with flying colors). Then we were off to downtown Quebec City for a tea ceremony where Lily was presented with her weight in jewelry. Afterwards, we made our way to Ile D'Orleans for the wedding ceremony itself, which was set in a beautiful vineyard that overlooked the St. Lawrence River. The reception was magical, with tables set among the trees of an adjoining orchard, and lit by candles and torches. The wedding was styled by Elyna Kudish of Unity Weddings and she did an outstanding job. Congratulations to Lily and Alex on your beautiful and moving wedding day!

September 14, 2011

So after having very pleasant spring weather in Paris and Provence, I headed to the Camargue for the last three days of my trip and it began to rain, rain, and rain some more. It rained pretty much the whole time. Not just little drops. It came pouring down. Three days straight. In the South of France. Some shoots were even cancelled. Especially painful was the sunrise shoot which was spent in a van waiting for a couple of hours for the rain to let up and then going back to the hotel when it didn't. Ah the glamorous life of a photographer. In the end, it turned out to be a blessing. For just enough time, at the right time, the rain would let up and this lovely soft light would surround us. It also meant I was able to achieve my "white on white" vision. This is how I pictured my photographs before I left for France. If we had had beautiful sunny days and intense blue skies, I wouldn't have been able to achieve it. Nature knows best after all.

These moments captured are among some of the most amazing moments of my life. The very first shoot required quite a bit of faith. My heart was racing from the moment it was explained that the 25 horses that would be running toward me would only swerve at the last second, but that rest assured, they would. I took some deep breaths and opened myself up to the experience. And what an experience it was.